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How To Get Picture Perfect Wedding Makeup

It's a fact that a bride is most likely going to wear makeup on her wedding day. Most brides, however, are not accustomed to working with a makeup artist and aren't aware of how to find the right one.

I spoke with Lindsey Jones, the number one makeup artist on Yelp! in New York City to get the inside scoop for a picture perfect wedding day look.

In your experience, is this often the first time a bride may be working with a makeup artist or even wearing this much makeup?

Lindsay Jones: It might be the first time a woman has paid a makeup artist instead of going to a makeup counter and purchasing products in exchange for the makeup application.

As far as how much makeup a bride will wear on her wedding day—probably more than she wears on a daily basis. For her wedding, the rule of thumb is to wear more makeup than she would usually wear during the day but not necessarily as much as she would wear to go around at night.

Why would a bride want to work with a professional makeup artist instead of doing her makeup herself?

Lindsay Jones: The reason why brides hire makeup artists for their big days is so that you can focus on participating in and choreographing the rest of the activities on your wedding day. It's more important for you to enjoy the day with your family and friends than to worry about getting your makeup picture perfect.

For makeup, hire someone who is experienced with weddings and how the day works. Make sure that your makeup artist creates a face chart so he or she can recreate the look exactly the same way on the day of your wedding. That way, there won’t be any surprises with your makeup and you’ll know exactly how you are going to look.

A good makeup artist has techniques to make the makeup last throughout the day. She or he will also know about makeup trends and technology so your makeup will look the best and last the longest.

If you still want to do the makeup yourself on your wedding day, it is a good idea to get a makeup lesson from a makeup artist so you can understand how to do it well for the big day. This is especially popular if you are having a destination wedding where you may have limited choices of makeup artists to choose from, and doing it yourself is a better option.

If you are having a destination wedding and want to hire an artist, plan to make time for a makeup trial beforehand. Be sure to bring your face and makeup chart with you if you have a makeup lesson before you go so you can provide specific information about your colors and look. Keep reading..

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1. NARS Blush in "Orgasm", $30

Putting the "O" in glow, beauty enthusiasts only stray for so long (if at all) before returning to this popular, natural-meets-naughty hue from NARS. Not one to play it coy when naming shades, the brand also boasts "Super Orgasm" for a more intense flush (and a touch of sparkle).

2. Butter London Nail Lacquer Vernis in "Knees Up", $15

This suggestive nail shade from cheeky beauty brand Butter London sends the same message as that little red teddy you've been eyeing, but for much less money and energy. Apply a few coats of the metallic finish to your nails to let him know you're red-y to go (wherever that may be).

3. Urban Decay "Naked On the Run" Palette, $54

Because you never know when you'll need to "undress" to impress, the newest addition to Urban Decay's "Naked" collection has you covered (er, uncovered – you get where we're going here) with a lot of "Naked" necessities, along with the brand's Perversion Mascara and a mirror for getting it just right.

4. Too Faced "Better Than Sex" Mascara, $23

Allow us to introduce you to a tall wand with an even taller order (and boy does it deliver). While we were skeptical at first, this magic wand, and corresponding formula, from Too Faced is the stuff that bedroom eyes are truly made of, producing plush, long lashes in just a few coats.

6. BareMinerals Eyecolor in "Sex Kitten", $14

The purrrfect blend of rose and gold, this shimmery shade from BareMinerals can be worn for work and, especially, play. Apply it as is, or up the ante with a wet shadow brush. If you're in a pinch, you can also apply some to the cheeks for a full-face flush.

8. Essie Nail Lacquer in "Size Matters", $8.50

Maybe we need to take our minds out of the gutter (after all, Essie didn't mention the specific upgrade at hand when describing this "enormously beautiful" shade inspired to help women trade up), but we couldn't help but go there. Either way, you should too.

Putting the "O" in glow, beauty enthusiasts only stray for so long (if at all) before returning to this popular, natural-meets-naughty hue from NARS. Not one to play it coy when naming shades, the brand also boasts "Super Orgasm" for a more intense flush (and a touch of sparkle).